PHILIPPINES 'READY' IF US INCREASES INTEREST RATES: CENTRAL BANK

MANILA - The Philippines is ready should the United States increase its interest rates though it is likely to maintain current levels, the central bank said Tuesday.

"I think because there's a midterm elections next year in the US that the Fed (US Federal Reserve) will not rock the boat. In any event, if there's an increase in interest rates in US, the Philippines is prepared for that," Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno told ANC's Headstart.

"I think the Fed chairman is committed to keep interest rates low. I believe him. I think that’s the right thing to do because we’re not over the hop yet in this crisis... While a big chunk of Americans have been vaccinated, the whole world has not been vaccinated. Nobody’s safe until everyone's safe."

US President Joe Biden last week announced plans to raise corporate taxes to finance a massive $2 trillion infrastructure and jobs program.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had also proposed that nations adopt a global minimum corporate tax to stem the erosion of government revenues.

DUTERTE WARNS NPA: WHAT YOU DO, I CAN DO 10 TIMES OVER

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday said he "can do better 10 times over" whatever the New People's Army (NPA) could do.

The rebel group is suspected of mounting another deadly attack over the weekend.

A government militiaman was killed and another wounded after NPA rebels allegedly ambushed them in Quezon province on Saturday. Soldiers and militiamen were reportedly guarding local police who had just finished a food aid mission at that time.

"They do not have ideology," Duterte said of the NPA. "Wala na silang prinsipyo, sa ulo nila makipag-away. They are there to plunder and just for the sheer brutality of it all, they want to kill all soldiers."

He then said no peace talks "can succeed under me or any other president if you do not stop attacking government forces and civilian leaders."

"What you can do, I can do better 10 times over. Ang kaya n’yo, kayo kong gawin (I can do what you can), so I would know how to deal with you," Duterte added in a taped speech.

"You are insensitive of the plight of the people na kailangan ng pagkain at tulong ng gobyerno (who need food and government help)," he said.

The President said the government does not lack in aiding the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Bilyon ‘yang amin," he said.

He told families of slain soldiers, "The nation is very grateful to you, and we would know also how to reciprocate their bravery… Justice will be served sa kanila (to them) in the end."

The Philippine communist rebellion, one of the world's longest insurgencies, has killed more than 40,000 people.

PACQUIAO TO SARA DUTERTE'S SUPPORTERS: GIVE OTHERS A CHANCE TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN HALALAN 2022

MANILA - "Dapat pagbigyan natin ang iba" (Let's give others a chance).

This was Sen. Manny Pacquiao's call to those urging Davao Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to run for president in 2022 and succeed her father, President Rodrigo Duterte.

In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN's Karen Davila, the boxer-senator said being a president is "anointed by God".

"Madami gusto maging presidente pero 'di sila pinayagan ng Panginoon maging presidente," he said.

Pacquiao also expressed his concerns on President Rodrigo Duterte's possible run for vice-president in 2022, saying it might not be good for the latter.

Members of the ruling party PDP-Laban's national council, which Pacquiao chairs, earlier voted on a resolution urging Duterte to run fornvice president despite the senator's opposition.

The two have yet to talk about the respective issues.

"Nagsulat ako sa Pangulo na magkaroon kami ng meeting, as a chairman and President, para pag-usapan namin 'yung plano ng partido. Pag-usapan namin lahat kung bagay ba, tama ba na baba siya, kung maganda ba o hindi ... ako naman diretso ako magsalita eh. 'Di naman ako paligoy-ligoy," Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao said he's still waiting for Duterte's response to his letter.

"Walang magagawa dahil ako sumusunod lang sa by-laws ng partido dahil kailangan mag-meeting ang chairman and the President," he said.

Despite issues with party mates, Pacquiao said he won't leave PDP-Laban.

The boxing legend said he's not yet certain if he will run for the Philippines' top post but he asserted he won't be either forced or prevented from running by anyone.

FDA GRANTS EMERGENCY USE APPROVAL TO SINOPHARM

MANILA — China's Sinopharm vaccine has been cleared for emergency use in the Philippines, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday night.

FDA chief Eric Domingo told the weekly meeting of the pandemic task force that they issued the EUA to the Department of Health today.

Executive Order 121 allows the concerned government agency to file an EUA to local regulators. The Department of Health said last month it would do so after Sinopharm was approved by the World Health Organization.

"Secretary Francisco Duque III wrote to FDA on May 20 that they were willing to accept donations for Sinopharm coming from China," Domingo said in Filipino.

DND URGED TO STUDY PROPOSAL TO RESTRUCTURE AFP WITH MORE MARITIME FORCES

MANILA — Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday called on the Department of National Defense to look into a proposal to increase the military's maritime forces.

She said this amid Beijing's continued incursions in the West Philippine Sea despite Manila's numerous diplomatic protests and the resumption of bilateral talks between the two.

Citing Dr. Clarita Carlos, former National Defense College of the Philippines president, Hontiveros said the Armed Forces of the Philippines is structured to defend a continental country rather than an archipelagic one.

The senator noted, citing Carlos, that the AFP is 71% army, 18% navy, with nearly half serving as marines, and 11% Air Force. Carlos proposed altering this structure to better serve the country's interests in the maritime domain.

Hontiveros also flagged that the Philippine Marine Corps gets a "meager allocation for its equipment."

"At a time when China is relentless in positioning its ships, building militarized islands, and expelling our own fishermen, we cannot be without a shield," she said in Filipino.

"We have filed diplomatic protests several times but we have not been listened to. A stronger maritime defense force sends China a clear message: we will not back down."

PDP-LABAN OFFICIALS FACE COMPLAINT FOR PARTISAN POLITICS

MANILA — A private citizen has filed an administrative complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman against three PDP-Laban personalities who are government officials for participating in a partisan political activity held in Cebu last May 31.

Named respondents in the 17-page complaint were Raul Lambino, presidential adviser for Northern Luzon and administrator of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority and PDP-Laban vice president for external affairs; Melvin Matibag, president and chief executive officer of the National Transportation Corp. and party deputy secretary-general; and Undersecretary Astravel Pimentel-Naik, executive director of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas and part of PDP-Laban’s membership committee.

Victor Morillo, a resident of Quezon City and an advocate for greater public accountability, alleged that respondents engaged in a political activity prohibited under Executive Order No. 292 or the Administrative Code of 1987, during the party’s council meeting held in Cebu City last May 31.

The meeting’s agenda was to urge President Duterte to run for vice president in 2022.

“The respondents violated the prohibition on partisan political activity for officers and employees of the civil service. Law and jurisprudence had stated clear exceptions for public officers and employees participating in partisan political activities,” the complaint read.

Morillo stressed “the provisions of the Administrative Code of 1987 and the Omnibus Election Code expressly exclude civil officers or employees who hold political offices from the prohibition against engaging in any election campaign or partisan political activity.”

“The respondents are not members of the Cabinet. Neither are they among the other exceptions for permissible partisan political activity under law and jurisprudence,” Morillo said in the complaint.

“During the PDP-Laban National Council Meeting, the three respondents certainly made speeches, announcements for the purpose of undertaking the election of President Duterte as vice president for the 2022 national elections,” he said.

“All of these utterances are within the prohibition on political commentaries, speeches, announcements and interview by non-excepted members of the civil service,” he added.

Morillo asked the Office of the Ombudsman to order the preventive suspension without pay of Lambino, Matibag and Pimentel-Naik while their case is being heard and their dismissal from the service if they’re proven to have violated the law.

ERC IDENTIFIES ERRING POWER GENERATION FIRMS

MANILA — The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has identified the generation companies (gencos) that did not report plant outages or identify their facilities needing immediate technical inspection as part of measures to address the perennial problem of power shortage during summer.

In a statement yesterday, the ERC said it has identified gencos that were not compliant with the reporting requirements, especially concerning problems in their generating facilities. The gencos were not named.

Out of the 2,083 incidents of unplanned outages between January and April, more than half or 1,288 cases were reported. For the 236 planned outage incidents, 220 were reported.

The ERC said it would be issuing show cause orders to the concerned gencos.

The power regulator has directed erring gencos to explain the apparent breach in the maximum allowable unplanned outage days per year.

Meanwhile, an ERC-organized task force has already identified the generation plants that would be prioritized in the conduct of technical inspection to verify the outages as well as actions undertaken by the power plants to get back online.

ANTI-RED TAPE AUTHORITY TO RESUME SURPRISE INSPECTIONS AT GOVERNMENT OFFICES

MANILA — The Anti-Red Tape Authority on Tuesday said it will resume surprise inspections of the offices of local government units and national government agencies to check if processes are streamlined for the people's convenience.

In a statement sent to reporters Tuesday morning, Secretary Jeremiah Belgica, director-general of ARTA, said the authority would assess the processes of the agencies, offices, and bureaus that they will visit and offer recommendations on how to strengthen their streamlining efforts.

The surprise inspections are "a way to catch government workers or officials who commit violations" of Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, he said.

ARTA has filed complaints at the Office of the Ombudsman against four Register of Deeds officials who were found during surprise inspections to be implementing cut-off schemes and other ease-of-doing-business violations.

Belgica said ARTA made rounds at all of the business one-stop shops set up by LGUs in Metro Manila in January.

He reminded LGUs that they only have until mid-June to automate their transactions by putting up electronic business one-stop shops.

The authority said it would also check on national government agencies and attached agencies which are now required by law to issue secondary licenses to integrate with the Central Business Portal.

Belgica reminded government offices to effectively coordinate with each other to simplify and streamline processes.

JG SUMMIT, FILINVEST, CHANGI AIRPORTS PHILIPPINES SIGN DEAL FOR STAKE IN LIPAD CORP

MANILA - JG Summit Holdings on Tuesday said it has signed a deal with Filinvest Development Corp, Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions and Changi Airports Philippines defining ownership interest in the Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp.

The firms signed a shareholders' agreement on June 7 which stated that JG Summit Holdings will hold a 33-percent stake in LIPAD, FDC with 42.5 percent, CAP with 15 percent and PAGSS with 9.5 percent, JG Summit Holdings said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

Changi Airports Philippines is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Changi Airports International.

LIPAD is a special purpose vehicle incorporated by the North Luzon Consortium, made up of the above-mentioned firms, for the management, operations and maintenance of Clark International Airport.

"We would like to inform you that on 7 June 2021, Filinvest Development Corporation (“FDC”) signed a Shareholders’ Agreement with JG Summit Holdings Inc. (“JGSHI”), Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc. (“PAGSS”), and Changi Airports Philippines (I) Pte. Ltd. (“CAP”) in connection with their ownership interest in Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. (“LIPAD”)," the statement said.

In 2019, LIPAD Corp received a formal notice from the government to operate and maintain the Clark International Airport.

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4.14 MILLION FILIPINOS JOBLESS IN APRIL

MANILA - Unemployment hit 8.7 percent in April, the same level compared to the previous quarter or the data from January 2021, the state statistics bureau said Tuesday.

This translates to 4.14 million jobless Filipinos for the month, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said in a virtual briefing.

Unemployment in January 2021 was at 8.7 percent with 3.95 million jobless Filipinos, data showed.

Unemployment in April 2020 hit a record-high of 17.6 percent.

On a month-on-month basis, April's figure is higher compared to unemployment in March which was at 7.1 percent, equivalent to 3.44 million jobless Filipinos.

The Labor Force Participation for the month is higher at 63.24 percent compared to 60.5 percent in January 2021, it added.

Underemployment is at 17.2 percent in April 2021, higher compared to 16 percent in January, data showed.

Underemployment for the month is lower compared to 18.9 percent in April 2020.

OPENING UP PH ECONOMY 'GOOD,' SAYS BSP AFTER APPROVAL OF ECONOMIC CHA-CHA

MANILA - Opening up the country's economy to foreign investors is "by and large good," the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Tuesday on proposals to loosen restrictive economic provisions in the Constitution.

Lawmakers last week passed on final reading the Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 (RBH 2), which seeks to amend the regulation of limits to foreign investments in the country.

"But there are some measures right now pending in Congress. For example the Public Service Act will open up some of these things

Education and corporate ownership can be opened up more, said Diokno.

"We can open the educational system. I would like to see the day when American or UK universities can establish branches here so our countrymen don’t have to go abroad to get superior education," he said.

"Even media, I think we have to open media so we don’t have monopoly of news here."

When asked if the 60-40 share of ownership stated in the Constitution is a hindrance, Diokno said: "I think so because if you want to invest in a big way here you want control of public corporation, you don’t want to be in the minority."

MANHUNT FOR MASBATE BLAST SUSPECTS LAUNCHED

MANILA — Police and the military have launched a manhunt for suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who planted an improvised explosive device (IED) that killed a footbal player and his cousin in Masbate.

Kieth Absalon, 21, and his cousin Nolven Absalon, 40, were killed when the IED went off in Barangay Anas, Masbate City on Sunday morning.

Kieth was a member of the Far Eastern University Men’s Football Team and of the Malaya FC.

Nolven’s minor son was wounded in the incident.

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar ordered his men to coordinate with the military in conducting a manhunt for the killers.

MGA NASUNUGAN SA BARANGAY HOLY SPIRIT SA QC, UMAPELA NG TULONG

MAYNILA - Umaapela ng tulong ang mga residente ng Barangay Holy Spirit para sa muling pagbangon matapos na masunugan nitong Lunes.

Martes ng umaga nang subukan ng ilang mga residente na bumalik sa nasunog nilang mga bahay para tingnan kung may mga gamit pang pwedeng maisalba.

Nasa 50 pamilya ang apektado ng sunog pero mahigit 20 lamang ang nagpunta sa evacuation center sa covered court ng Holy Spirit National High School. Ang iba ay nakituloy muna sa kani-kanilang mga kamag-anak.

Nagbigay naman agad ng pagkain at iba pang pangangailangan ng nasunugan mga residente ang lokal na pamahalaan ng lungsod. Pero ayon sa mga nasunugan mas kailangan nila yung mas pangmatagalang tulong gaya ng pagpapagawa ng kanilang bahay.

Iniimbestigahan pa ng Bureau of Fire Protection ang sanhi ng sunog.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

JODI STA. MARIA GOT GRILLED FOR 3 HOURS FOR HER FINAL DEFENSE. NOW, SHE’S SET TO GRADUATE.

MANILA — Like any student graduating from college, screen veteran Jodi Sta. Maria was “grilled” for her thesis defense — and going by her announcement over the weekend, the grueling session turned out for the best.

On Saturday, Sta. Maria shared on her social media pages that she passed her final defense that afternoon, and is finally set to graduate.

Sta. Maria, 38, has been studying BS Psychology in Southville International School and Colleges since June 2017.

“I wanted to share this with all of you! I passed my final defense this afternoon. Being grilled for more than three hours was no joke.

“But I must say the sleepless nights, the sacrifices, the hours spent in front of the computer to source out materials for my paper, were worth it. Marching soon!” she wrote.

Sta. Maria added: “I want to thank everyone who prayed for me and those who sent messages of encouragement. Maraming salamat! Malapit na ang graduation!”

Sta. Maria has been chronicling over the years milestones in her studies, including being a consistent dean’s lister. She has said she wants to specialize in oncology, once she finishes her college degree.

In the past four years, Sta. Maria has been juggling her education with major roles on the small and big screens.

Notably, between 2017 and 2021, she starred in projects like “Sana Dalawa Ang Puso,” “Sino Ang May Sala?”, “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin,” and “Clarita,” among others.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 47.66

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things. - Leonardo da Vinci